And ben oakes



(No Model.)

H. & B. OAKES. THREAD HOLDER AND CUTTER.

No. 467,689. Patnted Jan. 26, 1892.

EINITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY CAKES, OF SILVER CITY, NE? MEXICO, AND BEN CAKES, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

THREAD HOLDER AND CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 467,689, dated January26, 1892. Application filed July 11, 1891I erial No. 399.186. (N0model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY OAKES, of Silver Cit-y, Grant county, NewMexico, and BEN CAKEs, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, both citizens of the United States, have invented anew and useful Thread-Cutter, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of devices under apparel known asthread-holders and cutters, and the object-of the same is to produce animproved device of this character capable of being readily attached toand detached from an ordinary spool of thread and whereby the spool maybe then easily held and the thread cut.

The invention consists in the specific details of constructionhereinafter more fully .described and claimed, and as illustrated on thesheet of drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a general perspective view,showing the manner in which a spool of thread with this device appliedis held in one hand while the thread is pulled across the knife with theother hand. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective View of the attachmentalone. Fig. 3 is a similar View of the blank which comprises the body ofthe attachment, and Fig. 4 a similar view of the holder andfinger-socket detached from the body. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectionthrough the center of the complete attachment.

Referring to the said drawings, the letter S designates a spool ofthread, to which my improved cutting attachment C is adapted to beapplied. The said attachment consists of a bodyB and a socket F,constructed and c011- nected in the following manner: The blank fromwhich the body B is made is best seen in Fig. 3, wherein the dottedlines represent the lines upon which the metal is to be bent. The bodyproper comprises a circular plate having two slits or openings 0,between which is another 0 at right angles thereto, and from one edge ofthis plate projects the knife K, while from the edge at apoint aboutninety degrees distant projects a tongue T. In the finished article, asseen in Fig. 2, the knife K is bent at right angles to the plane of thebody and sharpened at its lower edge, while the tongue T is also bent atright angles to the same side of the plane of the body and is then bentupon itself to form a thread-clamp. The finger-socket F is a smallmetallic socket having projecting rearwardly from its body three tonguesI t and t, the first two being so located that they may be passedthrough the openings 0 and bent against the back of the body to hold thesocket in place, and to the tongue t, which projects through the opening0, issecured or may be formed integral therewith the holder H, which isa strip of spring metal bent as shown.

In operation the attachment C is brought into place opposite the end ofthe spool S, the holder H inserted in the'hole in the spool, andpressure applied to the finger-socket F to push the holder into thespool. The attachment be ing thus removably secured to the spool, withthe tongue T and the knife K passing slightly over one end of the spool,when it is desired to out the thread the same is passed through the jawsof the tongue and drawn between them, whereby it is clamped by theirspringing force, and the thread is then passed under the knife and drawnacross the edge of the same, whereby it is cut. That portion of thethread between the point where the cut is made and the point where it isheld in the tongue may be grasped by the operator when it is desired todraw a new piece from the spool. The thread is then moved outwardly, soas to disengage it from the tongue T, and then drawn upon to cause thespool to revolve, after which the above operation is repeated. Duringall this time the index finger of the left hand rests in the finger-piece F and the tip of the thumb in the lower end of the holethrough the spool, whereby not only is the attachment held firmlyagainst disconnection but the spool and attachment are afforded ahearing, so that they can turn as may be necessary.

As the attachment is connected to only one end of the spool the lattermay be used on sewing-machines with the attachment on the upper endthereof, and the shortness of the tongue T and the knife K will notinterfere with the feeding of the thread. It is well known that dyedthreads are to a certain ex tent poisonous and that the customarysevering thereof with the teeth often produces sore lips and tongues, asWell as chipping the teeth or cracking the enamel, and before theseamstress can find her scissors she naturally bites the thread if it betoo strong to break; but with the above-described device the exercise ofa little self-control will soon break up this habit and my improvedcutter will be found serviceable and valuable. Moreover, the thread whensevered by my improved knife has a cut wherein the strands are broken atdifferent points, because the thread is drawn across the knife-edgerather than the knife being drawn across the thread. The result is thatthe end can be twisted between the thumb and finger to form a very finepoint, such as can be passed through the eye of a needle more easilythan the end of a thread which is squarely cut off.-

The device maybe made in tin or light sheet metal, suitably painted,japanned, nickeled, or otherwise ornamented, and is preferably of anumber of sizes, to accommodate spools of different diameters, althoughthe holder will be of the same size in all sizes of the attachment.

What is claimed as new is- 1. The herein described attachment forspools, the same comprising a body consisting of a circular plate havingat its edge an inwardly-bent knife and a tongue bent inwardly and thenoutwardly upon itself, and a fingerpiece secured to the center of saidplate on its outer face and having a spring-holder projecting throughthe plate, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein described attachment for spools, the same comprisinga bodyconsisting of a circular plate having therethrough near its centerparallel openings, with another opening between and at right angles tothe parallel openings, and also having atits edge an inwardly-bent knifeand an inwardly-bent clamping-tongue, and a socketed finger-piece havingthree tongues, two of them passing through said parallel openings andbeing bent against the back of the plate and the third passing throughthe remaining opening, and a strip of spring metal bent at its centerand having one of its ends secured to-said tongue, as and for thepurpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own We have heretoaffixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY OAKES. BEN OAKES.

